An Iowa City woman was charged with killing a 6-month-old girl the woman was seeking to adopt. An autopsy classified Shauna Patrick’s death as a homicide. She died from extensive internal injuries. Velma Lucinda Whiting, 41, was charged with first-degree murder. Police said Velma was caring for Shauna pending her adoption of the infant.

According to police records, officers and rescue workers responded to a 911 call late that Wednesday, May 28, 1996, that indicated a child was having difficulty breathing. The infant was taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Iowa City and was pronounced dead at 12:15 a.m. the next morning. Police records said that Shauna had a pronounced contusion to its abdomen area. The cause of death was a lacerated liver secondary to a fresh, severe abdominal injury. Shauna also had a skull fracture that happened around the time of the fatal abdominal injury. The child also had evidence of other, older non-accidental injuries.

Records show that Velma admitted striking Shauna on the abdomen shortly before her death. She was convicted of second-degree murder.